Combined pin and thermal lubricator for trolley-wheels.



No. 792,728. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. W. K. RICHARDSON.

COMBINED PIN AND THERMAL LUBRIGATOR FOR TROLLEY WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5. 1904.

Patented June 20, 1905.

ATENT Trice.

W'ILLIAM K. RICHARDSON, OF LEAVENVORTH, KANSAS.

COMBINED PIN AND THERMAL LUBRI CATOR FOR TROLLEY-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,728, dated June 20,1905.

i Application filed December 5,1904. Serial No. 235,476.

To ti/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM K. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and Stateof Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Pin and Thermal. Lubricator fo1'Trolleyl/Vl1eels, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined pin and thermal lubricator fortrolley-wheels; and my object is to provide a device having the dualfunctions of a journal for the trolleywheel and an oil-receptacle'forautomatically lubricating the trolley-wheel when necessary and whichtherefore materially lengthens the period of service of the Wheel,reduces the cost of maintenance, and economizes in the use of thelubricant.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which can bemanufactured cheaply and placed in operative relation with the trolleywheel and harp with ease and celerity. Y

With the above-named objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and in the utilization inits operation of certain laws of physics, as hereinafter described andclaimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a detailperspective view of a hollow pin embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is across-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the pin, thetrolley-wheel journalcd thereon, and a portion of the harp whichsupports the pin, the section being in the plane of the trolley-poleharp when the wheel is engaged with the trolley-wire.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a hollow pin of any suitable materialand construction, but which preferably consists of seamless tubinghaving a permanent plug 2 closing one end and a removable plug oreapsuch, for instance, as screw-plug 8-closing the other end, thefirst-named plug having a diametric hole 4 registering with the oppositeholes 5 in the tube, the latter at a suitable point also having a fineorifice 6 extending, preferably, in the same direction as holes 4 and 5,through which the lubricant in solidified form is forced for lubricationpurposes, as hereinafter explained.

In practice the pin is secured in the harp 7 by the usual spring-cotter8, the latter occupying recess 9 in one arm of the harp and extendingthrough the registering holes 4 and 5 to prevent any lateral orrotatable motion of the pin, the arrangement being such that the oriice6 extends downwardly below the axis of the pin, as shown in Figs. 2 and3, and journaled, as usual, on said pin within the harp, and between thewashers 10 is the trolleywheel 11, having the usual bushing 12.

13 indicates the lubricant, which is solidifiedthat is, of suchconsistency that it must be subjected to pressure to force it downthrough the orifice 6, but will through the law of gravitation occupythe lower portion of the pin, so as to leave an air-space 14 above.

As the wheel revolves, assuming that the journal is not lubricated, itsfrictional engagement with the pin quickly raises the temperature of thelatter and as a result that of the air in space 14. The air thereforeexpands and exerts sufficient pressure on the oil to force a smallquantity of the latter downward through the orifice 6, whence throughthe action of the wheel it spreads and lubricates the entire surface ofthe journal, it being understood in this connection that the heatgenerated by friction is never sufliciently great to melt the solidifiedoil. The lubrication of the journal eliminates friction between thewheel and pin and is of course shortly followed by a fall in thetemperature of the air. The air therefore contracts or becomes rarefied,the result being the creation of a partial vacuum in the tube, whichpermits a volume of air from the outside proportionate to that of thedisplaced or ejected lubricant to pass up through the orifice into thetube. When the bushing and journal again become dry by the exhaustion ofthe lubricant supplied thereto from the tube, the friction of the wheelon the journal again heats the pin and reexpands the air therein, itbeing understood that because the specific gravity of the lubricant isgreater than that of the air the former maintains its position below thelatter in order that a portion of the oil shall be ejected each time theair is expanded. Following the second supply of lubricant to the journalis a second charge of air to the hollow pin, so that there shall alwaysbe such a volume of air in the latter that a very slight increase in itstemperature shall result in the ejectment of a supply of the lubricant.

It is essential that the lubricant-orifice shall be in the lower half ofthe pin, not only because it must always be in communication with thelubricant occupying the lower portion of the pin, but also because itwill not become clogged up by cuttings from the bushing, which collecton the upper half of the pin, owing to the fact that the wheel by itsgravity and stress or strain upon the wire always imposes its pressureupon the upper side of the pin or spindle.

It will furthermore be apparent that it is desirable to have the orificedisposed about centrally of the wheel, because the cuttings from thebushing will be greater toward the ends than toward the middle of thewheel, this being due to the rocking or lateral vibratory action of thetrolley-wheel, said action being greatest when rounding curves, thoughpractically constant at all times.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a trolley-wheel, of a hollow pin having anorifice in its lower portion, but otherwise air-tight, and a soldifiedlubricant in the pin and closing said orifice against the egress of airbut permitting the ingress of air when the external pressure of air onthe lubricant preponderates.

2. The combination with a trolley-wheel, of a hollow pin having apermanent closure at one end, and a removable closure at the other, andprovided with a lubricant-ejectment orifice in its lower portion, butotherwise airtight, means to hold the pin from turning, and a wheeljournaled on the pin and adapted by frictional engagement at timestherewith, to raise the temperature of the pin and air therein to createa preponderating internal pressure on the lubricant.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM K. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. GLoRn, G. Y. Trronrn.

